New and innovative techniques have been introduced which will help your business to keep up with the trends of digital marketing. Through hard work and keeping things consistent, you will have a much easier time keeping up with these ever-changing trends.

Following are just some of the digital marketing trends that you should prepare yourself for this 2021. Adhering to these trends should ensure that your business stays relevant and on top of the trend all through the year.

Personalized Email Marketing

By crafting personalized emails for each of your potential customers you have a much higher chance of them opening and reading the email. Personalization can come in the form of the customer’s geolocation or by using their name or nickname.

Make the customer feel more like you care, and show them that they are important to your business. Engage with them beyond a simple promotional email, and hold conversations with them. PinPointe states that if you use the customer’s specific name within the email that the open rate jumps by 35%!

Use Visual Content

Utilize visual content whenever possible. Videos are a very popular trend within the world of digital marketing, and if you’ve foregone using videos up until this point, now is the time to start!

You will be quite surprised to learn that the Digital Marketing Institute claims that more than half of consumers agree that their online purchasing decisions are influenced by video content guides and that these guides help to build trust with the brand they are looking to purchase from.

You can also use influencer marketing, live streaming, and the like to keep up with the trends. These methods of marketing have exploded in popularity lately and will be valid means of digital marketing for the foreseeable future.

Get Users Engaged

This is not a new concept, but it has become a much bigger part of digital marketing than it ever was in the past. There is a study done by Outgrow which shows that 93% of potential customers find that interactive content is the best out there due to how it educates buyers about the product or service they are contemplating buying.

These interactive methods can include things such as quizzes, polls, or augmented reality ads. Anything that can get potential customers engaged and interested in your product is a great way to stay relevant.

Use Multiple Channels to Market Your Product

This is also known as the omnichannel marketing approach and is essentially using various platforms such as emails, blogs, social media, and the like to connect with your consumers.

Using this type of strategy produces much better results than simply sticking to one medium for advertising your product. The more channels that you delve into, the better your chances are of reaching a broader audience and increasing your revenues.

Just ensure that your brand message is consistent across whatever channels you aim to tackle. Keeping a consistent and quality image is one of the most important things with this approach.

Conclusion

Because things are always changing and evolving when it comes to the digital frontier, it is of utmost importance that you ensure your brand, business, or company stays on top of the trend no matter where it may go.

If you are looking for someone that can help you with keeping your business on top of every trend, then make sure to contact IB Systems. Founded in 1995, you can rest assured that they have experience in the field and know exactly how to keep your business at the forefront of the digital marketing trend.

With accredited experts in various fields such as systems integration and business solutions, they will make sure that the services they provide are of the highest standard of quality. Stay on top of the trend, and contact IB Systems to help you do that.

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Considering this, we’ve decided to put together a shortlist with tips to help you find a proper web development company, able to deliver that website you always wanted!

Figure out what kind of website you need

We know, this can sound a bit like a given, but the truth is that not websites are similar. For example, Google is a website as well, but with a ridiculously big infrastructure behind. The same thing goes for the likes of Facebook or Amazon.

Therefore, it’s very important to observe the differences in what makes up a site, as well as its functionality. Or, if you prefer, what’s going to offer for your business and the people interested in it.

Our recommendation is to determine exactly what are you looking forward to using your website for and communicate this to the web development company. If they will understand instantly and come up with some recommendations, you might as well have found a winner.

Are you compatible with them?

When picking a new company in charge with your website’s development, you’re actually starting a new relationship which should last for a few years, at least. And this is something incredibly important, as we’re talking about one of your main technology partners!

Like in any potential relationship, get to know who you will be hiring, find out their values, their way of working, as well as, of course, how the staff gets along. Because, in the end, one of the factors influencing your final decision will also be…well, if you like them as people.

Don’t forget about support

As mentioned above, a web development company is one of your business’ technical partners, which means that, at some point, you will need them to offer you support. Specifically, some changes to your website, after you figure out that some features or elements are missing or not functioning properly.

The web development company you should be working with will provide all the tools you need to update your website whenever needed, but also solve your requests on time. This is why we believe that it’s essential to find out at what level, the turnaround time, as well as how many members of the staff will be in charge of offering support.

Consider all costs

Last but not least, the financial aspect is surely essential when choosing a web development company to work with. Yes, we are talking about an investment in your company’s future, as the website is your online business card, but this doesn’t mean that you should just pick the first offer.

Most development companies set their pricing using an hourly rate or using tiered packages. But besides these, there are also additional costs to consider, like hosting or on-going support. If the latter isn’t included in the initial offer, of course.

A difficult choice, right?

For the past years, the team at IB Systems have been helping local companies in Tampa Bay – but not only – extend their online presence, through website redesign and development. Whether you are after a custom solution, based on Flash, DHTML, Ajax, XLM, JavaScript and PHP, or a WordPress website, they can deliver just what your business needs!

The post How To Find The Web Development Company Your Business Needs appeared first on IB Systems USA.

That computer can excel when it comes to studying and recognizing human faces is amply corroborated by the algorithms used by Facebook, Google, Twitter, and other well-known portals for identifying images in subscribers’ profiles. Facial recognition scientist employed with the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Jonathan Phillips strongly believes that the most excellent face recognition formula can compete with the best forensic scientist or expert. John along with his team carried out a survey where they offered 20 pairs of complicated images to an array of algorithms and human specialists for review and identification.

Surprisingly enough, the algorithms matched the human experts in performing the assigned tasks. The research team also came up with another crucial finding-an algorithm and human working in concert performed better than two humans coordinating together. The researchers came to the conclusion that results were more accurate and superior when the human intellect collaborated with computer codes.

The study conducted by Jonathan and his team has been published in the ‘Proceedings in the National Academy of Sciences’. It is now for the face recognition community and forensic agencies to take advantage of Phillip’s findings for carrying out identification with greater accuracy. And Jonathan has also made it clear that face identification experts do not need to worry about losing their jobs as the algorithms still have a lot of ground to cover for giving humans a run for their money.

Nevertheless, algorithms, going by their current level of competency can at best help scale down the options. It is still up to the human to take the final decision-so he has to trust his or her instincts more than the algorithms. And since it is humans who are toiling to enhance and fine-tune the accuracy of the algorithmic systems, it would not be out of place to mention that they’d seriously mull over the kind of person that they’d in that sensitive position.

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Let’s take a few minutes and go through all the advantages a small company can have after some proper social media exposure, shall we?

It increases the brand recognition

First thing first, one of the main purposes of social media is to boost your business’ visibility among current customers and potential customers. Besides this, it creates a direct way to share your brand’s voice and content with all these people interested in the product or service you’re offering.

We’ve reached a point in which customers expect a company – whether it’s a small business or a bigger one – to be easily accessible and recognizable online. Basically, when they search for a business and don’t manage to find the information they need, they will automatically assume that it doesn’t exist and move on.

Considering this, we can say that increasing the brand recognition through social media can help you generate a lot of prospects and eventually convert them into customers.

It reduces traditional marketing costs

Let’s face it, traditional marketing methods, like print or digital ads, postcard mailers and so on are ridiculously expensive. And not always very efficient! Sure, they are important, but in most cases, a small business owner can’t afford to pay for them. But hey, social media is always there to help!

Just imagine the following situations: a satisfied customer posts on their Facebook profile about how great your service is. This is more powerful than placing an ad, since it’s a genuine review, in which somebody who used what you’re offering says how happy he or she is. And guess what? It didn’t cost anything, which is excellent for a small company with a reduced budget.

It improves your customer service

Nowadays, if you have a problem with a product or a service, most of us go directly on social media in order to look for some assistance, ask questions or even provide some feedback. Usually, there’s a social media manager or a member of the customer support team, if it exists, always ready to solve any problem. After all, this is why Facebook introduced the ratings in the first place!

Therefore, if you’re not present on social media, you’re missing a great opportunity to get in touch with customers and solve their problems quickly. And this is not everything…

Whenever a customer writes on your page about a positive experience with your small company, you can easily share this as a testimonial, so all your followers can see it!

It boosts your search engine ranking

Google will also give some love to your company if it’s present on social media and this is an aspect some people tend to ignore. For a few years, the search engine considers social media signals as a factor in determining whether a business will rank well in SERPs.

When creating your social media posts, think about ways of helping your followers spread your message and make sure you create as much engagement as possible. Pro tip: show your customers that you care about them and offer some incentives from time to time.

If all these sound great but you just don’t have the time to make sure that your small business is present on social media, you can let IB Systems do it for you. With almost 10 years of experience in helping local companies in Tampa Bay to expand their web presence, they surely know how to make sure your social media game is on point.

The post Why Social Media is Essential for a Small Business appeared first on IB Systems USA.

Still, it’s not that easy as some people may believe…

At a first look, consistently engaging with your followers on social media, as well as gaining new ones, resumes only at posting content from time to time. But it’s way more than this, as a simple post can’t do everything.

We’ve put together a short list with a few principles you can follow in order to get better social media results in no time and see your follower base, as well as engagement, seriously growing.

Spotlight your customers

It is well known that for some users social media works as a way of gaining recognition and attention, so in this case, your social channels should be one of the places where customers can achieve this goal.

How can you use this in your favor? Well, start with tracking all your social media mentions and share them. Yeah, it’s that easy!

Each time a customer posts something on a personal profile and mentions your business’ name, share it on your brand page. Besides showing your followers that real people actually appreciate the brand, it also helps customers gain the recognition they’re after and provide a quick feeling of fame.

Ask for advice

Once again, it’s all about customers. Even on social media, they want to feel that their voice matter, so it’s your mission to build a sense of trust and appreciation.
Responding quickly to any question they have is somehow mandatory, but when you ask for their advice and input on products and services, they will surely be appreciated. And your engagement numbers will also skyrocket!

Whenever you must take an important decision in your company, regarding a new product, for example, ask your social media followers to act as a buyer and offer their feedback.
It was proven that this practice creates a harmonious relationship with customers, not to mention that they will feel like an important part of the business.

Offer some free stuff

Everybody loves free stuff, including those following you on social media. Whether it’s a product, a gift card or a simple couple, they are always welcomed, no matter the business.
In order to engage with your social audience and generate great engagement, organize giveaways from time to time or even more complex contests, offering some of your products or services as prizes.

As a side note, several companies reported that organizing smaller contests more often, social followers end up returning on the page more often, in order to try their luck again. If you can replicate this, with a minimum investment, you can say that you found the winning formula and your engagement rates will be a living proof.

As you can see, implementing these social media practices doesn’t require huge investments, in terms of financial resources, but the results can be impressive. Just make sure that you put together the right message, appealing to your community and you will definitely be surprised by your social media results.

If you’re not familiar with social media, but still want better results, IB Systems is always happy to help. Providing IT and network support services to Tampa Bay local small businesses for more than 20 years, they have all the experience needed to take your social media game to the next level.

The post How to Get Better Social Media Results in no Time appeared first on IB Systems USA.

According to the multi-page content guidelines, 7500 content moderators have decided what type of content is acceptable. While it’s obvious that a threat of violence, sexual exploitation, and trademark infringement is banned, the team always regulates the ‘gray area’ posts.
For instance, if you are not happy with a speech, then you are not allowed to post what you actually had felt. But, it’s completely fine if you are making your friends aware of the speech. So, here are the content posing guidelines stated by the social networking site.

Nude pictures of children
We know that people might post nude images online with a good intention. However, such social media posts would be removed by the team because of the potential for abuse. Moreover, removing the images can also avoid the possibilities of letting others use the images.

Facebook also says that once a child becomes a toddler, users would not be allowed to post photos that uncover female nipples.

For example, the team doesn’t allow posting images of female breasts with a close-up of the nipple. But, on the other hand, restrictions haven’t been laid on images of women who are engaged in breastfeeding or those who are showing off post-mastectomy scarring.
The company also advises users not to share content with a squeezed female breast except if it relates to breastfeeding.

Claiming that someone is a liar
According to the guidelines of Facebook, revealing a liar online could be considered as a form of harassment.

The posts that show that the victim is lying or pretending to be involved in an incident aren’t allowed. Action would also be taken if the post has the intention of misleading people about the event because they were paid or were told to act in a smart way.

Confession of crimes
Facebook is not a social networking site on which individuals can post about crimes such as thefts or sexual assault. However, people are allowed to argue on a topic related to the criminal activity. They could either criticize or address in a satirical way.

Seeking to promote drugs
If people are using the social media platform for selling drugs, then it should never be done. The individuals should either state the interest of selling drugs or insist someone to trade the item.
When it comes to promoting guns, then certain companies are allowed to sell firearms. But, in that case, adults who are above 21 years of age are restricted to view the social media post.
Finally, posts would be immediately removed if a person is targeting someone’s vulnerability. It’s also not good to post images that depict injuries, a disease or premature death. According to the guidelines, close-ups of buttocks or visible anus are not allowed on the social media platform. But, it’s completely fine if the image has been edited with the help of a software.

As per the section of violence, if the outcome of an election is beyond the expectations, then Facebook would not allow people to post about violence.

Recognized as an IBM business partner, IB Systems has always offered support to systems within a network. The company is proud to help business owners enhance the online presence through custom website designs, Search Engine Optimization and social media marketing on Facebook as well as other websites. The IT professionals also offer affordable support plans for small and large scale businesses and across numerous platforms, systems as well as frameworks.

Image credit: mohamed_hassan

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As one of the greatest technology inventions known to man, email has set the stage and for the past half-century ensured precision, punctuality, and an immediate network not only to communicate with fellow loved ones, friends, and employees but also via the government. It has evolved tremendously over time and is a key contributor to the efficiency of operational success of major corporations around the world. Put simply, email is comparably as important as the telephone as far as the communications industry goes.

Although, just like any great technology invention, it has it’s drawbacks and is expected if to remain popular to move with the current world’s demands and the future it has ahead. Whether it’s avoiding last night’s date or setting the date for your next big business move and making sure everyone catches the wind, e-mail has literally ensured that billions of different ideas, imagery and the text has reached people all over the world and continues to do! In fact, many people from all walks of like would easily agree that e-mail, along with the Internet, has played a major role in ensuring democracy, no matter where you live or what it is you’re looking to achieve.

Moving back to modern, technical relevance consumers should anticipate – no matter the nature of business – a significant move over the next few years but as soon as year or two which focuses more on writing, or having pre-written (or automatically written) emails and correspondences that sort of ‘write themselves’. By this we mean ones that are compiled of much shorter lengths of text, use many popular emotions found on major networking sites like Facebook or Twitter, and still more or less achieve the same message – no matter how important. While this is definitely a concept still in the making, thanks to studies across the globe and what even might seem obvious to many, users find not only convenience but also added personality and a way to personalize their message to their recipient – or recipients.

The next big technological innovation goal is to develop and include more active artificial-intelligence when developing and utilizing e-mail interfacing. Beyond just automatically scheduling events on one’s mobile device or computer per an Android or Apple app, an interface that actually specializes in this feature, and is focused on maximizing both communication and personal or ‘virtual support’ for both senders and recipients. From guessing your next words, to filling in the subject line for you- these are just a few interventions in the making. Also, support for adding and removing subjects, and moving away from the ‘CC and BCC days’ to something more evolved and productive, such as a “Share” feature across the board of major email service providers and platforms.

It’s by no means far fetched to assume the possibility of Facebook or LinkedIn being used to process, send, and receive emails – in fact, Facebook has in the past installed this feature. More importantly, as mentioned earlier cross-platform use will become a necessity in efforts to keep everything organized, and along with a “Share” feature the actual email service provider platforms themselves will likely become fused together.

A major challenge right now which may seem minuscule, such as a lack of ability to “comment” on BCC’s or CC’s without having the message distorted, disorganized, or having to adjust and take parts out can waste significant time, and is just begging for a revamping of its systematic features. While uncertainty looms over which email provider, major, or even private firm will be responsible for the most upcoming advanced, user-friendly, while ‘user-smart’ email interfaces, many people, fans, and tech experts alike would consider Google to be one of the main competitors. As various email, networking, media, and social networking sites continue to expand, when one ‘absorbs’ or buys out another one can only hypothesize that this could very well lay down the framework for the future of email.

Image credit: feelart

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Doximity, for instance, is steadily getting more users and visitors. It was launched less than 2 years ago and already has doctors and surgeons who share reports through it. This helps medical experts to refer clients to other experts, receive reports exclusively from other medical practitioners, etc. If more doctors switch to social media there could be a vast community that would be virtually in front of the sufferers and patients at just click of a button.

Like Facebook or Google+ transformed the mode of informal communication, every major technology development firms has developed or is developing its social network to release it to small businesses. IBM, Oracle, SAP, SalesForce, etc. are just a few instances in this category. The annual turnover of social media is expected to reach $4.5 billion by 2016. Small and medium-sized businesses are expected to play major role in this incredible growth.

Business owners encourage the use of social media by their employees in order to make them more efficient and obtain maximum business through them. Self-employed businessmen are also readily making the switch. How much social media influences the businesses of present world is evident from the fact that Microsoft spent $1.2 billion to acquire general business communication network named Yammer.

Companies with 5 – 5000 employees are considered as small or medium-sized businesses. The evidence of how small businesses can grow can be found with numerous businesses in various countries that started with less than 10 employees and became a million-dollar apparels company around a year. The secrets were appreciably revealed by owners and had the utilization of social network in common. Similarly, restaurants, medical clinics and even NGOs have been able to reach to more people at lesser expenditure of resources.

Manufacturer or service provider firms are owned by people and people have friends and relatives too. Social media facilitate quick and feasible communication between various people. Thus, when an individual or a small of individuals start a venture, they can get noticed by thousands of people through their friend and relatives with the help of social media. Advertisements are but only for a locality. Widespread advertisement is too expensive for starters. On the other hand, promotion through a social network is feasible and transparent.

When a business owner claims something about its products or services it is supported or opposed by hundreds of comments by the users. More importantly, these commentators review under no influence of the business owner. Therefore, transparency and reliability is maintained through social media. Moreover, whether positive or negative, words spread like wildfire and are either ways beneficial for a business. Lastly, a social network may be free to use but entrepreneurs must spend respectable time to extract the best benefits out of social media.

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Twitter, Facebook and other Social Network websites including social bookmaking sites, may have no follow links telling Google to ignore them but Google don’t and actually look at and use Social Network links in many more ways than normal web links.

Google will look at a social network website like Twitter or Facebook and not just find links but look at who has put up these links: how many likes, friends or followers that person has affects how valuable the link is as does how often they add links. This means you should be using social networks not just to link from your account to your site but to reach out to other users to get them to retweet and share your posts.

Google have ways of analyzing almost anything now it seems and how many people like you, follow you and even more importantly retweet you affects your search rankings, even when they don’t include a link as Google have almost certainly traced your account or accounts and associated them with your website. If people on a social network website respect your opinion then Google want to share your website with more people so their results are more relevant.

Of course social media sites aren’t just about SEO and there is no reason why you can’t achieve different benefits at the same time. Social Networks are communication tools but in the same way you could use your phone to cold call potential customers or use it to offer customer service to an existing customer social networks can be used in different ways too.

Awareness is definitely a good way to use any social network from Facebook to Linkedin, though the best choice will depend on who your potential customers are. Once setup with your account the best way to get started is to communicate and find existing customers, then get them to share your posts, news and offers with their friends and though at first things may grow slowly things can start to snowball: once you have followers of course you need to communicate with them and give them news and updates as well as making them aware of what you offer and of your brand values to encourage sales.

Customer Service is a useful part of social media usage too, many people don’t want to communicate by phone or even e-mail, they find a social network website much easier and are more likely to use it for giving feedback they wouldn’t have bothered to send via phone or e-mail: this feedback can often be positive but even if negative dealing with the problem professionally for everyone to see can still become a positive.

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